Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve listed some of the more commonly asked questions here for your convenience. If your question isn’t answered below, please feel free to call us at 855.402.6646.


FAQs

How does this process work?

It’s simple! You spend between 15 and 20 minutes giving us information about your financial situation, grades, ACT/SAT score and the schools you're interested in, and we take over from there. We'll create a customized book for you based on your specific eligibility, financial information and selected colleges.

Most families wait six weeks or more to receive this information from each individual college. Or they use a net-price calculator that’s based on old data from university averages—not your specific information. We provide that information early in the process so you can do a better job planning. You’ll have all you need to make a decision, and it’ll all be laid out side-by-side in one place. That gives you more time to plan.

Top

What information do I need to have ready when I call?

Our team is highly trained to walk you through some quick and easy questions over the phone to gather the information needed to create your custom college guide.

It would be helpful to have the following information ready when you call:
  • A record of the money you earned in 2012, such as your paystubs, W-2 or federal income tax return
  • Your parents’ adjusted gross income for 2012
  • Your high-school GPA
  • Your standardized test scores, such as SAT scores, ACT scores, and/or state proficiency exam scores
  • A list of colleges you’re interested in
If you don’t have all of the information above handy, don’t worry. We’ll walk you through the process step-by-step to ensure you get the most accurate estimates of your grants and scholarships.

Top

How is the guide customized to me?

Dave Ramsey’s Custom College Guide is tailored to your personal circumstance. Your custom college guide includes:
  • Full two-page spreads on each of your college selections, including details like school contact information, student body demographics, admission/graduation statistics and more
  • A cost breakdown for each of your selected colleges
  • Your personal eligibility for all federal, state and military grants/scholarships
  • A summary of the funding you and your family will be contributing to your education
  • Insight into other funding opportunities including scholarships from your colleges of choice, employer assistance programs, tax-based student aid and private student aid
  • Timeline checklist featuring dates specific to your grade level in high school and your state requirements
  • Custom details that are important to you, such as distance from home, school size, extracurricular activities offered and much more
  • Information about over $116 billion of aid that you will not have to pay back
Top

Why should I pay for this when I can do the work myself for free?

You can research and determine most of this information yourself. However, it’s scattered throughout many different websites and databases, and you can lose days or weeks trying to sort through the information. Not only is it time consuming, it’s also a lot of hard work, and it can be confusing. Every day, students sign up for loans they don’t need or want thinking they’re getting free money, and they don’t realize their mistake until they’re out of college and up to their eyeballs in debt.

That’s where we come in. We’ll do all the work for you, and we’ll give you all the information you need to graduate debt free in an easy-to-understand way. It’s just like how many people choose to pay a professional to prepare their taxes for them. These people know that a single mistake could cost thousands of dollars! Considering college is the second-largest investment you’ll ever make, it pays to have the pros on your side.

Don’t get overwhelmed trying to figure out grant and scholarship information and the true cost of your college choices all by yourself. Let us help you create a personal plan that will empower you to make the best college choice for you—without taking out loans.

All you’ll have to worry about is keeping those grades up!

Top

I've heard it's a scam to pay for the FAFSA. Isn't the FAFSA free?

The FAFSA is totally free to fill out and submit. When you order your personalized copy of Dave Ramsey’s Custom College Guide, we throw in fast, professional FAFSA preparation as a bonus to you! We’re invested in your success, which is why we have pros on the team who will prepare and file the FAFSA for you to ensure that it’s accurate and completed in time. This complimentary service will save you a ton of hassle and literally hours of work.

Plus, if your situation changes, you don’t have to jump through hoops to update your FAFSA. One of our advisors can help you. We partner with professional advisors who prepare hundreds of thousands of FAFSAs each year, so they’re really good at it.

Top

Will you find all of the scholarships and grants out there?

We hear about a lot of scholarships, but we can’t hear about them all! Your custom college guide won’t provide you with every grant and scholarship because there are grants and scholarships everywhere! Community organizations, service organizations, educational trusts and independent donors are just a few of the groups that provide additional scholarship opportunities.

Dave Ramsey’s Custom College Guide determines your personal eligibility for all federal, state and military grants/scholarships. It will also provide insight into other aid opportunities including college scholarships, employer assistance programs, tax-based student aid and private student aid.

Top

Do you apply to the colleges, grants and scholarships for me?

No. Your future is up to you! Dave Ramsey’s Custom College Guide gives you the information you need to make the right college choice. It will break down the student aid process into easy-to-follow steps and help you make an action plan to move forward. It’s up to you to act on the plan.

Top

When should I do this?

A college education is a big investment, so we suggest that you get started as soon as possible! Dave Ramsey’s Custom College Guide is designed for high-school students preparing for college, so it will be especially helpful for seniors who are preparing to face the FAFSA for the first time. However, the planning information is helpful to anyone planning to attend college regardless of age.

Even if you’re a few years out from starting college, your custom college guide will provide you a reliable benchmark for college costs and your aid eligibility. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors have more time to prepare, save money, and increase their GPA and eligibility based on the info they get in their custom college guide, so by starting their research early, they get ahead of the game!

Sorry, Dave Ramsey’s Custom College Guide isn’t applicable to graduate students or transfer students.

Top

When will I get my custom college guide in the mail?

After the call with your advisor, your custom college guide will be created and mailed to you within 3–5 business days. We will also provide you with an electronic copy in case you misplace your guide.

Top